A presentation architecture, such as the Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) architecture, is used to handle input streams and data and output information on many different types of printers—monochrome/color, impact/non-impact, continuous-form/cut-sheet—as well as on other output technologies such as displays. When the information to be output contains color data, it is important that the colors are rendered accurately and consistently across all device technologies. On color devices the colors should be rendered as accurately as the device gamut allows; on monochrome devices the colors should be simulated with accurate and pleasing grayscales.
Heretofore, problems have been encountered in assuring that consistency of output is achieved across a variety of output devices. This arises in part from the varying capability of devices to render color, and in part from the resulting opportunity for color information to be skewed by device characteristics.
Color Management systems have been available on some operating system platforms such as Windows and Macintosh and are applicable to printers and displays functioning with systems using those operating systems. However, there is no presently known comprehensive color management system used in production print environments such as AFP environments. Certain terminology used hereinafter is represented by initials or acronyms. To any extent that such terminology is unclear from the context, greater understanding can be obtained by reference to a standard dictionary of terminology used in the printing industry, such as the dictionary provided by IBM and identified as Publication G544-3973-00.